Australian Fashion Designer Premal Patel Dies At 47 After Vaping-Related Health Battle
The Australian fashion world is mourning the sudden death of Premal Patel, founder and CEO of Runaway The Label. He was 47.
Patel died on Sunday, just over a month after being hospitalised with severe health complications that he publicly linked to vaping. His death was confirmed via a statement shared on Runaway The Label’s official social media channels.
Runaway The Label included women’s and men’s wear collections. His designs were bright, lively, fun and elegant. Patel’s earlier brand, Premonition, was a popular menswear brand, with a shop on Oxford Street, Sydney, in the heart of the gay strip. In the 2000s, he redirected his creative attention to women’s wear. Runaway had recently soft-launched a new range of men’s resortwear.
A brand built on vision and trust.
In its statement, Runaway The Label described Patel as a leader whose values shaped every part of the company. The post read, “His influence is deeply embedded in the culture, team, and direction of Runaway. While the legacy Prem created will live on, the world feels a little less bright without him.”
The brand asked for privacy for Patel’s family while arrangements are made for a celebration of his life and work. That legacy includes turning Runaway The Label into a globally recognised fashion name, worn by influencers, entertainers, and reality TV stars across continents.
An outpouring of grief from friends and peers.
Tributes quickly filled the comments. Media personality Sarah Marie Fahd wrote, “Can’t believe this. It’s like a bad dream. Rest in peace dearest Prem. We love you so much and you will be missed not only by us, but by everyone whose life you’ve touched.”
Social media creator Aliie Auton shared, “Such heartbreaking news. Sending love to his family, loved ones and the team.” Reality TV figures Tahnee Cook and Kiki Morris also posted messages of shock and disbelief.
The reaction spoke to more than professional success. It reflected the kind of creative who stayed close to people, not just platforms.
The hospitalisation that came weeks earlier.
In the weeks before his death, Patel had spoken openly about a medical emergency that left him in intensive care. He shared a photo from hospital showing him connected to breathing equipment inside an intensive care unit.
In a detailed post, Patel explained that his oxygen levels had dropped so low that he could not stay awake mid-conversation. “My oxygen was so low it wasn’t compatible with life without an external tank keeping me alive,” he wrote.
He described multiple hospital admissions over several weeks, including discharging himself and then being rushed back again. During his third ICU stay, Patel was placed into an induced coma.
“I was at 50 percent oxygen, on super high-flow support. My lungs were so severely inflamed that they couldn’t absorb oxygen. I was actually dying,” he wrote.
Doctors later identified vape fluid in his lungs as the cause of the inflammation.
A warning he chose to share publicly.
After stabilising, Patel used his platform to speak directly about vaping. His message was blunt and personal. “If you vape and want to gamble with your life, keep vaping,” he wrote. “I choose life. And I would never put my loved ones through what they just went through for me.”
He also reflected on how easily risk can be dismissed. “I always thought ‘that won’t happen to me’. But it did.”
That post has since taken on a heavier weight. It now reads less like a recovery update and more like a final act of care for the community watching him.
Premal Patel’s work, honesty, and care for the people around him will be remembered long after the noise fades.
